Carpal tunnel syndrome is a medical condition in which pain, numbness or a tingling sensation is felt in the area of the wrist, thumb and fingers. Carpal tunnel syndrome results from inflammation of the median nerve where it passes through an aperture bounded by the bones of the wrist (carpal bones) and the flexor retinaculum muscle, this aperture being commonly referred to as the carpal tunnel. The median nerve supplies sensation to the wrist area as well as the thumb, the index finger, the middle finger and the ring finger. Therefore, when the median nerve becomes irritated and inflamed in the carpal tunnel area, the aforementioned sensations are felt in these areas of the hand and wrist.
Median nerve inflammation that causes carpal tunnel syndrome can be the result of repetitive flexations of the wrist. These repetitive movements are required in numerous activities such as typing or operating a sewing machine. A known solution to the development of carpal tunnel syndrome is the limitation of the flexibility of the wrist. The repetitive flexations that can cause carpal tunnel syndrome are thereby lessened and the median nerve is less likely to become inflamed.
Most wrist supports for prevention of carpal tunnel syndrome consist of a wrist support which may be secured about a person's wrist. Typically, such wrist supports consist of strips of material which, when wrapped about a person's wrist, support the wrist and limit its flexibility.
However, the wrist supports sometimes cover an insufficient area about the wrist to properly limit flexation of the wrist. Or, when in place, the wrist supports constrict use of the fingers and are therefore unusable for many activities that may cause carpal tunnel syndrome. Additionally, the known wrist supports typically provide the same amount of support to the wrist and areas adjacent the wrist. This configurational limitation does not allow greater support directly around the wrist while allowing less support to the areas adjacent the wrist to allow for greater manual dexterity of the hand and fingers. Furthermore, such wrist supports are typically constructed from materials that do not have the desired characteristic of providing impact resistance to the hand and wrist.
To this end, a need has long existed for a wrist support that properly limits the flexation of the wrist and provides varied levels of support to the wrist area, giving more support to areas of the wrist where greater support is required. Also, such a wrist support should provide impact resistance to the wrist and hand while allowing substantially unrestricted movement of the fingers.